Wights
Generally, "wights" is a term used in the Rabydosverse to refer to any spirit in nature that is less powerful than the Gods, or that are the servants of those deities. Characteristics Wights tend to appear in many different forms, depending on the culture, folklore, or religion that mentions them. They usually appear as humanoids, although many also take the form of animals. Vozonid wights usually appear as colourful humans wearing splendid and beautiful robes, with the feature that they inhabit being the pattern in their attire. For example, a river wight would wear flowing cyan and green robes dotted with lilies; while the certain wight warrior of a mangrove tree wears a suit of armour made of green, leaf-like plates. According to Vozonid mythology, wandering souls, ghosts, or the souls of plant-based sentients that linger too long near any natural feature or plant gain colours as they turn into wights; and the plant-like Porasonids believe that their souls turn into wights after they die. Wights tend to be venerated in the form of idols inside shrines, or simply by the feature that they inhabit (like a tree, a forest, a large rock, a field, a road, a hill, a mountain, or a river). More prominent or popular wights reside in larger temples. Even houses have their own wights who are given offerings for their blessings. Specific wights Nordic * Vættir ** Landvættir (land wights) and Landdísir (land mothers) ** Sjóvættir (sea wights) and Vatnavættir (water wights) ** Skogvættir (forest wights) ** Húsvættir (house wights) Slavonian * Domovoi (household guardians) * Leshi (forest wights) Dasadeshan/Prisapuran * Devatas * Yakshas and Yakshinis Pinogunian * Kamigami (various wights and Gods) Vozonid Specific * Ape-Wight of Mount Mandil (Josol, Siangwaan) - he guards Mount Mandil until the destruction of the planet. Wears a golden suit of armour and wields a spear and shield: his shield bears the names of those who were killed for damaging the mountain. * Dragon of Lake Zavo (Narivo) * Blue-and-Green-Clothed Wights of the Great Forest (in western Vozolaz or the Paharal jungle to the south) - venerated during Sarmelonid times and again with a modern revival * Chellarcha/Shyllashau (Siangwaan and nearby countries, in some cases) - the more popular ghosts are venerated as wights. * Dūbokhôn, the Pumpkin Lord - he is Hannahanna's scribe who records each harvest * Nai Saremau/Nai Saremai (Porashon) - cherry tree dryads that represent the people of Porashon, their origins as plant-like humanoids, and their beauty. Any male cherry wight is a brave Nai Saremau, while any female cherry wight is a gentle Nai Saremai. Both names mean "beautiful cherry tree/flower". * Mount Tunavjon - a mountain-wight that refuses to "eat" the victims thrown into his caldera, either letting them land on some dry land away from sight or fall to their deaths. * the Twelve Ministers of the Underworld, who assist the death God Zōval as he judges the deceased. One of them, Katazoripo, is the most popular as he records the good deeds of the deceased, ensuring a better chance for a better afterlife. Types and races * Blue-and-Green-Clothed Wights of the Great Forest (in western Vozolaz or the Paharal jungle to the south) - venerated during Sarmelonid times and again with a modern revival * Chellarcha/Shyllashau (Siangwaan and nearby countries, in some cases) - the more popular ghosts are venerated as wights. The superstitious fear of those ghosts attracting more harmful ghosts causes the eastern lands to become a laughingstock. * Hōnjon - desert wights * Jōnduri - wide tree * Jopakkon - tree-wights bound by oaths sworn by humans. They are armed with axes to cut down any who break their oaths to them. * Jõndoz - road wights. Shrines were set up on resting stations where travellers pray for their favour as they continue their voyages. * Rūnon - mountain wights * Shunjarau/Shunjarai - river wights * Spinel Wight/Karkishai - supposedly a bringer of wealth and good luck. * Tshuvarjoz/Tshuvarjaz - beach wights * Ultashōrin - jungle wights * Voinjaraz - vineyard wights * Zirakon - tall tree In other languages * Baesorjan: vættr (pl. vættir) * Daleskarnian: vettur (pl. vettar) * Hothrovian: vættur (pl. vættar) * Prisapuran, Sanskrtam: devata * Pinogunian: kami (pl. kamigami) * Sarmelonid: nišaipau (pl. nìšaipauso), rjòšo (pl. rjòšoso) * Modern Eastern Vozonid: rhysoi (pl. rhysoizo), nizājoz (pl. nizājozzo) Trivia * The wights of the Rabydosverse were inspired by the Norse/Asatruar landvaettir, the Japanese kami, the dryads of Greek mythology, and Na Tuk Gong in Malaysian Chinese folk religion. In some cases, they were also influenced by elves in fantasy literature. ** Perhaps the undead beings commonly referred to as "wights" in fantasy literature would instead be known by Jerdiskar as "cursed people" or "the cursed dead". Jerdiskar wights would either try to find ways to heal them from their curses, or fight and kill them if those "wights" have become too much of a threat to nearby lifeforms. ** Said "cursed people" or "zombies" would instead be called "plague-walkers", as most of them were said to have been infected by some kind of disease. Whether they are the same as "cursed people" or different usually depends on the author or artist of their depicted work. See also * Celestials, spirits in astronomical bodies, stars, the heavens, and fire; and their allies. * Demons, their enemies bent to the destruction of everything in existence. * Ontemazei, a race of plant people who proudly revere the wights as their ancestors. 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